KEY POINTS

  • Xiao is a glass cannon who trades survivability for high DPS output
  • Bring a good healer or shielder to maintain Xiao's HP
  • Xiao's Plunge Attack is his main source of damage while in his Elemental Burst mode

“Genshin Impact” Patch 2.4 has brought two five-star banners, including the re-run for Liyue’s resident protector, Xiao.

With the return of the Vigilant Yaksha, now’s the best time to revisit some of the best builds that can help players get the most out of his insane DPS potential.

How to play Xiao

As one of the strongest DPS characters in the game, Xiao can obliterate almost anything in a matter of seconds provided that he’s built and used properly. He can fit in nearly every team composition thanks to his attunement to Anemo, but his life drain mechanic may leave him starved of HP if he goes without any support.

Xiao can deal extreme damage within a limited window of opportunity
Xiao can deal extreme damage within a limited window of opportunity Genshin Impact

Xiao’s main damage source is his Plunge Attack when empowered by his Elemental Burst, Bane Of All Evil. Once he wears his mask, all of Xiao’s attacks are infused with Anemo and deal more damage, and his base jump becomes high enough to allow for constant Plunge Attack spam.

Best Weapons For Xiao

The Primordial Jade Winged Spear is hands-down the best weapon for Xiao, which shouldn’t be surprising since it’s his signature spear. This weapon passively increases his ATK values while also providing a nice chunk of CRIT Rate.

Alternatively, players can go with the Deathmatch from the battle pass as it provides the same offensive stat boosts. For F2P players, the Blackcliff Pole or even the three-star White Tassel can be handy alternate options.

Best Xiao Artifacts

Two pieces of the Viridiscent Venerer and Gladiator’s Finale offer solid offensive stat boosts for Xiao. However, four pieces of the Shimenawa’s Reminiscence set can be a solid choice for him as well.

Prioritize the usual assortment of damage stats for each artifact piece to maximize his damage and resort to using support units to keep Xiao’s survivability up.

Best Teams For Xiao

Xiao is a selfish DPS character who works best when others support his Anemo damage output. Off-field damage effects like XIngqiu’s rain swords, Bennett’s fire field and even Ganyu’s ice storm can seriously boost Xiao’s damage output while his Elemental Burst is up.

A strong shielder like Zhongli can remove the need for healers, freeing up one slot for another offensive off-field character.

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